PAVIA, a city of northern Italy, capital of the province of the same name, on the left bank of the Ticino, 20 m. s. of Milan, and 3 m. above the confluence of the Ticino and the Po. A covered bridge of eight arches connects the city with the suburb of Borg° Ticino, on the right bank of the river, and from this bridge the Strada Xuora, or C)rso, the principal thoroughfare, leads north, and extends to the outskirts. The city is large, surrounded by walls, and has an imposing appearance, bearing the impress of antiquity. In former times, it was called the "city of a hundred towers;" but the palace of Theod oric, and the tower where BoEthius wrote the treatise Ds Consolations Philosophim, no longer exist; among the remaining ones are those of Belcredi and Del Maino, which am each 169 ft. high. Its oldest church, and perhaps the oldest in Italy, is that of San Michele, which, although the date of its foundation is uncertain, is first mentioned in 661. The cathedral, containing some good paintings, was commenced in 1484, but was never finished. In a beautiful chapel attached to it are the ashes of St. Augustine, in a sarcophagus ornamented with 50 hassi-rilievi, 95 statues, and numerous grotesques. In the church of San Petro in Ciel d'Auro are deposited the remains of the unfortunate Boathins. The Certosa of Pavia, the most splendid monastery in the world, lies four miles north of the city. It was founded in 1396, contains many beautiful paintings, and abounds in the richest ornamentation, It has an octagonal cupola, painted ultramarine, and enameled in gold. It was sacked by the French in 1796. Its church is in the form of a Latin cross, and is 249 ft. long, and 173 ft. wide. The university of Pavia is said to have been founded by Charlemagne in 774, and was one of the most famous seats of learn ing during the middle ages. Its efficiency was much increased by Galeazzo Visconti,
who bestowed many privileges upon it in the year 1396. It consists of numerous col leges, and attached to it are a library. of 120,000 vols., a numismatic collection, anatomi cal, natural history, and other museums, a botanic garden, a school of the fine arts, etc. The university is attended by about 700 students. It has numbered among its professors Alciati, Fidelfo, Spallanzani, Volta, Searpa, Foscolo, and Monti. The other chief edifices , comprise private palaces, theater, gymnasium, etc. Pavia carries on a good trade in wine, rice, silk, and cheese. Pop. '72, 29,618.
Pavia, the ancient Ticinum (afterwards Percia, \\hence the modern name), was founded by the Ligurii; it was sacked by Breunus and by Hannibal, burned by the Huns, con quered by the Romans, and became Q, place of considerable importance, at the end•of the Roman empire. Then it came into the possession of the Goths and Lombards, and the kings of the latter made it the capital of the kingdom of Italy. It became independent in the 12th e., then, weakened by civil wars, it was conquered by Matthew Visconti in 1345. Since that period, its history is merged in that of the conquerors of Lombardy. Here, in 1525. the French were defeated by the imperialists, and their king taken priso ner; but in 1527, and again in the following year, it was taken and laid waste by French. It was stormed and pillaged by Napoleon in 179Q, and came into the possession of Austria by the peace of 1814. Since 1859 it has been included within the kingdom of Italy.—The province of Pavia has an area of 1290 sq.m.; pop. '72, 448,435.